Define events before metrics
Course overview · 4 min reading + 12 min practice, estimated
Principles and method
A funnel needs consistent entry and exit events for each stage. Application received, screening completed, interview attended, offer issued and start confirmed should have distinct meanings. Count people, applications or vacancies deliberately rather than mixing units. Record timestamps from actual events, not retrospective guesses where possible. Document cancellations, reopened stages and skipped steps. A dashboard built on inconsistent status labels can look precise while answering no stable question. Start with a metric dictionary and a small set of decisions the team needs to make.
Worked example
One team counts interview scheduled as interview completed while another counts attendance. Their conversion rates cannot be compared until the event definition is aligned.
Put it into practice
Define seven hiring events and the unit of analysis for each.
Use fictional information and keep your work in your own notes.
Compare your approach: self-review guidance
Include a rule for rescheduling and non-attendance. A scheduled event is not completed evidence. State how missing timestamps will be reported rather than silently excluded.
Sources and further reading
Original Academy teaching and fictional examples. These references provide context, not endorsement. Edition 2026.09; updated 2026-09-24.
- CIPD: Recruitment
Professional context for the recruitment lifecycle.
- MIT: Little's formula and queueing systems
Technical background for interpreting work in progress, throughput and flow time.